BE184P Instrumentation in Biological Engineering 2 Exercise 3.

2 Review Article Reaction Paper

Name: KUM, MunJi Student No. 2019152204 Program/Year: BE/3 Date:

Name: PERALTA, Joane Student No. 2019103004 Program/Year: BE/3
Name: CELESTRA, Den Student No. 2019102287 Program/Year: BE/3

I. Make a brief summary or synopsis of the article you’ve read. Rubrics attached below. (Limit: Up to
300 words.)
None-invasive biosensor provides better trend in glucose monitoring. Since diabetes is one of the most
common and deadliest endocrinological disease, glucose of diabetes patients should be continuously
monitored throughout the day in order to avoid complications. With the need of continuous monitoring,
wearable biosensors are becoming a big market. Interstitial fluid (ISF) is one of the biomarkers that can
be used in non-invasive glucose monitoring. ISF extracted by reverse iontophoresis are present in
different cells which supplies nutrients through diffusion from the capillary endothelium, which leads to
reliable correlation between blood and ISF glucose levels. Glucose monitoring in sweat is also an
explored angle through the elucidation of pH signal due to the changing lactate concentration, which
could impact the oxidation activity. A biosensor that uses perspiration analysis uses swear metabolites
such as glucose, lactate, and electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, and skin temperature was
proposed. This type of wearable patch-type sensor provides wireless transmission for the realization of a
practical wearable sensor device. These two different biosensors are continuously being developed to
provide most accurate results and exhibit efficiency. Although these biosensor is not made to eradicate
the hormonal anomalies that diabetes can bring, these instruments are powerful enough to manage the
disease and create a better lifestyle for people suffering from diabetes.
II. Answer the following chronologically:

1. What are wearable biosensors? (Describe in terms of electroanalytical techniques.) What are the
different body compliant wearable platforms? What are the reasons why this technology became
one of the interests of engineers and scientist to develop or improve?

Wearable biosensors are electronic devices that embed sensors in the human body via tattoos,
implants, or other methods to achieve in vivo sensing, data recording, and calculation. Wearable
biosensors are known for providing clinicians and patients with two-way feedback, which is
important for the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions [1]. Through electrochemical
detection, these devices can monitor a variety of biochemical indicators in human physiological fluids
such as saliva, sweat, and interstitial fluids in a non-invasive and real-time manner.

In the papers "Wearable electrochemical alcohol biosensors" and "Wearable non-invasive epidermal
glucose sensors," both alcohol and glucose were detected by leveraging direct-ethanol oxidation at
non-enzymatic catalytic electrodes and enzymatic glucose oxidation at skin-worn sensing electrodes,
respectively [2,3].

The different body compliant wearable platforms used in the papers:

I. Wearable glucose sensors:
a) Biofluid: ISF
• GlucoWatch biographer
• Temporary tattoo
b) Biofluid: Sweat
BE184P Instrumentation in Biological Engineering 2 Exercise 3.2 Review Article Reaction Paper

• Multiplexed wearable, flexible array patch

• Sensor array patch coupled with induced sweating
• Graphene-based stretchable patch
• Wearable patch, multimodal glucose sensor
• Eyeglasses Sensor
II. Wearable electrochemical alcohol biosensors
a) Biofluid: Sweat

• Transdermal graphite-Teflon- AOx-HRP-ferrocene composite electrode placed after

iontophoretic sweat stimulation
• Screen printed AOx-Prussian Blue epidermal tattoo with integrated iontophoretic sweat
stimulation
• Flexible co-planar gold or zinc oxide electrodes for bioaffinity-based epidermal EtG
immunosensing

b) Biofluid: ISF

• Microneedle-based AOx-platinum electrode

Because of the potential qualities of these wearable biosensors, there has been a rise in research
efforts toward the development of non-invasive glucose monitoring platforms. These biosensors
have provided promising results, sufficient flexibility that conforms to the curvilinear geometry of
human skin, and non-invasive monitoring for patients

2. Why is it possible to measure glucose from sweat or ISF? Explain in terms of analyte concentration
and sensor capability.

Wearable sensing devices can target and measure analytes in sampled biofluids such as sweat or
interstitial fluid (ISF), considering that they have the potential to provide a direct measure of
concurrent analyte levels in blood depending on the correlation between concentrations in the two
fluids. Since sweat can easily be sampled at the skin's surface and tiny analytes such as glucose
rapidly diffuse into the sweat. The electrochemical signal from glucose in sweat could be acquired by
an enzymatic reaction between GOx and glucose and a Prussian blue transducer on porous gold;
these sweat concentrations have been demonstrated to correlate to blood glucose concentrations
reliably. On the other hand, measurement of skin ISF provides a consistent correlation between
blood and ISF glucose levels because ISF surrounds cells and feeds nutrients via diffusion from the
capillary endothelium, allowing glucose to be measured from this biofluid. The flux of positively-
charged sodium ions generates an electroosmotic flow toward the cathode, resulting in the
movement of neutral glucose toward the same electrode due to the skin's negative charge [2].

3. Draw and label a representative schematic diagram of a wearable biosensor assembly of a glucose
biosensor. Briefly describe the function/s of the labelled parts.
BE184P Instrumentation in Biological Engineering 2 Exercise 3.2 Review Article Reaction Paper

Temperature Sensor: In order to monitor the skin

temperature

Gox (glucose oxidase) Sensor: To detect sweat

metabolites and levels of extracted ISF glucose
through enzymatic glucose oxidation and for
selective glucose sensing.

Prussian Blue Sensor: Used for selective glucose

sensing. Prussian blue reduces the reduction
potentials to around 0V, thus there is no need for an
external power supply.

Potassium and Sodium Sensor: To detect sweat electrolytes.

4. Write down the chemical equation (half-cell reactions and net reaction) involved in the detection
of glucose using glucose biosensor.

5. How are these biosensors proven to be or shown to be effective in measuring a biomarker? Explain
by choosing one graph or plot from any of the two papers to show the reliability of the biosensor
design.

The figure that was presented above is a comparative data between sweat glucose monitoring and
blood glucose monitoring. In this figure, the blood glucose was considered as the positive control
with it being the gold standard in glucose testing. Sweat glucose was tested via pH signal of as
lactate concentrations are highly varied. Lactate concentration coincides with glucose simulation as
exercise plays a role in glucose monitoring. pH signal was simultaneously monitored for over 14
hours which revealed that blood and sweat glucose have positive correlation. The only limitation of
BE184P Instrumentation in Biological Engineering 2 Exercise 3.2 Review Article Reaction Paper

the measurement of the biomarker is its inability of the glucose level and latency time to be
continuously monitored

6. What are the factors that should be considered in the creation of an effective wearable sensor?
Enumerate and describe at least five (5) factors.

In creating an effective wearable sensor, there are several internal and external factors that must be
considered. To design wearable sensors that work efficiently in different settings for diverse needs,
designers and engineers must consider: weather, abuse, and ambulatory nature of the user. These
challenges are the standard ways a user behaves, which may affect wearable sensors’ effectiveness
and durability. These usually happen external setting. Understanding the users and their environment
is critical for device success.

7. What are the limitations or drawbacks of wearable electrochemical biosensors? Give at least five
(5) and briefly describe each.

Signal accuracy is compromised by surface fouling effects, which represent a major challenge to the
continuous operation of wearable biosensors. Wearable biosensors can also be exposed to fluctuating
conditions during prolonged outdoor activity that may affect the stability or activity of fragile bio-
receptors. Also, one of the other major limitation is how the SELEX process is applied to small
molecules. This is because unlike the protein targets, small molecule targets need to be immobilized
prior to incubation with the aptamer library. In the absence of advanced analytical techniques,
colorimetric techniques are inadequate for the naked eye monitoring extremely small concentrations
of target molecules.

8. In your own perspective, do you find wearable sensors sustainable? Why or why not? Briefly
explain.

Wearables as its name implies is the technology with the concepts of simply holding smart and portable
computing devices on body parts. Wearable sensors are sustainable. This is because of the
advancement in technologies which made the life easier, and its evolving day by day.

9. If you’re given a chance to create/fabricate a biosensor, in what field/area will its application be
and what specific analysis will it be used? (Example biosensor in the medical field, specific
biosensor for glucose.) Briefly describe why you have these answers.
I will be choosing a biosensor for lung cancer. Generally, early detection for cancer is the first line of
defense in order to minimize the mortality rate of the patient. Which means, the earlier the diagnosis
of cancer, the better. Lung cancer is one of the leading cause of cancer death across the globe as it is
one of the most aggressive types of cancer that is also prone for metastasis. In a lighter note, lung
cancer can be detected by various protein biomarker such as NF-kB and the mutation within the
genetic material of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR).

Currently, the gold standard of detecting lung cancer is by getting a biopsy which is a surgical
procedure that requires huge expenses and resources. If economic biosensors to detect lung cancer
BE184P Instrumentation in Biological Engineering 2 Exercise 3.2 Review Article Reaction Paper

with high reproducibility, and great linearity can be developed, hopefully, the mortality of lung
cancer patients will go down.

References:

[1] A. Sharma, M. Badea, S. Tiwari, J.L. Marty, Wearable Biosensors: An Alternative and Practical
Approach in Healthcare and Disease Monitoring, Molecules. 26 (2021).
https://doi.org/10.3390/MOLECULES26030748.

[2] J. Kim, A.S. Campbell, J. Wang, Wearable non-invasive epidermal glucose sensors: A review,
Talanta. 177 (2018) 163–170. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.TALANTA.2017.08.077.

[3] A.S. Campbell, J. Kim, J. Wang, Wearable electrochemical alcohol biosensors, Current Opinion in
Electrochemistry. 10 (2018) 126–135. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.COELEC.2018.05.014.

Grade Rubrics:
Rating Content
4 Substantial and specific details with adequate elaboration or explanation.
3 Adequate details mentioned but missing adequate explanation.
2 Limited content with inadequate explanation.
1 Inadequate or there are specific details not mentioned.

Organization
4 Sophisticated arrangement/ strong and organized arrangement of content with evident or subtle transitions.
3 Functional arrangement of content that sustains logical order with some evidence of transitions.
2 Inconsistent arrangement of content with or without attempts at transitions.
1 Inconsistent and no organization of content.

Understanding
4 Writing shows strong understanding
3 Writing shows a clear understanding
2 Writing shows adequate understanding
1 Writing shows little understanding